Apparatus and method for suppressing vibration and displacement of a fellows
Flexible bellows are utilized between two systems, such as a pumping system and a process station, to partially absorb system vibrations and to compensate for misalignment between the systems. It is common practice to either clamp a rigid spacer between flanges of the two systems to separate them from each other, or to maintain the bellows in unsupported relationship between these systems. In the former bellows arrangement, the rigid spacer transmits vibratory energy between the two systems and the bellows tends to function as an undamped or underdamped unit that resonates at its own frequencyto create additional vibratory energy, transmitted to the systems. In the latter, unsupported bellows arrangement, the pressure differential prevalent between the fluid flowing through the bellows and ambient normally causes extension or retraction of the bellows and resulting misalignment problems. The present invention substantially solves the above vibration and misalignment problems by providing an inflatable tube in surrounding relationship about a bellows to suppress vibration and displacement thereof. A method for isolating first and second systems from each other to prevent the transmission of vibratory energy therebetween comprises the steps of attaching at least one flexible bellows between the systems, surrounding the bellows with an inflatable tube, and maintainign a predetermined pressure in the tube to urge the tube inflexible contact with at least some of the convolutions of the bellows.
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4523612
- OSTI ID:
- 6272049
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 15 Apr 1983; Other Information: PAT-APPL-485155
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Apparatus and method for suppressing vibration and displacement of a bellows
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